Hunting safety harness

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

The disclosure relates to hunting saddle devices and more particularly pertains to a new hunting safety harness. Such saddle devices are worn by a user and secured by a tree line to a tree to prevent a user from falling from a tree while hunting. The new hunting safety harness includes an expandable portion to permit a user to adjust the size of the saddle for comfort and stability. A cord, such as a shock cord, is connected to the saddle on either side of the expandable portion, which cord is designed to stretch when the expansion portion is expanded and to contract to collapse the expansion portion when the saddle is not in use. A friction assembly is frictionally engaged with the cord to allow a user to selectively adjust the tension on the cord.

The prior art relates to hunting saddle assemblies, and, as best understood, does not disclose a hunting safety harness that includes a saddle and a cord, wherein the saddle has an expandable portion, and wherein the cord is connected to the saddle on either side of the expandable portion, which cord is designed to stretch when the expansion portion is expanded and to contract to collapse the expansion portion when the saddle is not in use.

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above in a hunting safety harness designed to be worn by a user and engaged with a bridge line generally comprising a saddle and a cord. The saddle is designed to support a posterior portion of a body of the user. The saddle includes a first saddle portion, a second saddle portion, and an expansion portion. The expansion portion is positioned between the first saddle portion and the second saddle portion. The expansion portion is expandable to increase a size of the saddle when in use and collapsible to decrease the size of the saddle when not in use. The cord is coupled to the first saddle portion and the second saddle portion. The cord extending over the expansion portion. The cord includes resilient material. The cord is designed to stretch when the expansion portion is expanded and to contract to collapse the expansion portion when the saddle is not in use. The cord is folded into a pair of cord portions extending side by side over the expansion portion. The cord includes a pair of free ends. Each of the free ends is positioned on a respective one of the cord portions. A friction assembly is attached to the second saddle portion. Each of the free ends is inserted through and held by the friction assembly. Each of the free ends is adjustable in the friction assembly to adjust a tension on a respective one of the cord portions.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular tothereof, a new hunting safety harness embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeralwill be described.

As best illustrated in, the hunting safety harnessis designed to be worn by a user, such as a hunter, and engaged with a bridge line. As shown in, the hunting safety harnessgenerally includes a saddleand a cord. The saddleis designed to support a posterior portion of a body of the user. For example, as shown in, the saddleis positioned to support a buttocks region or a lower back region of a hunter. The saddleincludes a first saddle portion, a second saddle portion, and an expansion portion. The expansion portionis positioned between the first saddle portionand the second saddle portion. The expansion portionis expandable to increase a size of the saddlewhen in use and collapsible to decrease the size of the saddlewhen not in use. For example, the expansion portionis in a collapsed statein, such that the first saddle portionand the second saddle portionare close together. The expansion portioncan be expanded from the collapsed stateinto an expanded state, as shown in. The cordis coupled to the first saddle portionand the second saddle portion. The cordextends over the expansion portion. The cordincludes resilient material, such that the cordis designed to stretch when the expansion portionis expanded, as shown in, and to contract to collapse the expansion portionwhen the saddleis not in use, such as is shown in. The cordis folded into a pair of cord portionsextending side by side over the expansion portion. The cordincludes a pair of free ends. Each of the free endsis positioned on a respective one of the cord portions. In the exemplary embodiment in, a friction assemblyis attached to the second saddle portion. It should be noted that the positioning of the friction assemblyon the second saddle portionis only one exemplary embodiment, as the friction assemblycould be positioned on the first saddle portionin another possible embodiment. Each of the free endsis inserted through and held by the friction assembly. Each of the free endsis adjustable in the friction assemblyto adjust a tension on a respective one of the cord portions.

The friction assemblyholds the free endsby friction force. In that respect, in the exemplary embodiment, the friction assemblyincludes a plurality of passages. Each of the free endsof the cordis removably woven through the passages, such as, for example, in a serpentine or zig zag manner, to promote frictional engagement between the friction assemblyand the cord. In the exemplary embodiment, the free endsare woven through the passagesto prevent inadvertent disconnection of the free endsfrom the friction assembly. In the exemplary embodiment shown in, the friction assemblyincludes two layersof material stacked on one another. A plurality of stitchesform the passagesbetween the two layersof material. However, the friction assemblyas shown in the drawings is only one exemplary embodiment. In that regard, the cordcould be coupled to the second saddle portionin a different manner than the friction assembly, such as being stitched or woven into the second saddle portion, or connected by clasps, hooks, snaps, or buttons, or attached by an adhesive or bond.

shows an exemplary embodiment as to how the cordcould be coupled to the saddle. In this exemplary embodiment, a patchis attached to the first saddle portion. The patchincludes a pair of apertures. The cordis inserted through the aperturesand between the patchand the first saddle portionto couple the cordto the patch. However, the cordcould be coupled to the first saddle portionin a different manner, such as being stitched or woven into the first saddle portion, or connected by clasps, hooks, snaps, or buttons, or attached by an adhesive or bond. In another possible embodiment, the patchcould be coupled to the second saddle portion.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in, the first saddle portionincludes a first strapand a first panelattached to the first strap. The second saddle portionincludes a second strapand a second panelattached to the second strap. As shown in, the expansion portionis attached to and connects the first paneland the second panel. In the exemplary embodiment in, the cordis coupled to the first paneland the second strap. In this specific embodiment, the patchis attached to the first paneland the friction assemblyis attached to the second strap. However, in another possible embodiment, the cord, and likewise the patchand the friction assembly, could be coupled anywhere on the first saddle portionand the second saddle portion, such as the first strapand the second panel, the first strapand the second strap, and the first paneland the second panel.

The saddleincludes a first sideand a second side. The second side, shown in, is abuttable against the body of the user, as shown in. The cordis positioned on the first side, as shown in. The cordcould possibly be positioned on the second side, or positioned at least partially within the saddle.

In the exemplary embodiment in, each of the first panel, the second panel, and the expansion portionincludes a flexible mesh integrally formed together. In one possible embodiment, the flexible mesh can be resiliently stretchable. The cordis a shock cord, which generally includes an elastic core and a woven sheath about the elastic core. However, in another possible embodiment, the cordcould be made solely from an elastic or rubber material. The patchcould be made of natural or synthetic materials, such as leather, plastic, fabric, or metal. The friction assemblycould also be made of natural or synthetic materials, such as leather, plastic, fabric, or metal.

With reference to, the saddlecan be connected to the bridge line, which is in turn connectable to a tree. Bridge loopsare attached to the ends of the first strapand the second strap. The bridge linecan include looped portionsthat can be interlocked with the bridge loops. Leg strapsare connected to the saddle, which leg strapscan be wrapped around the legs of the userfor stability and connected to a central connector (not shown) as is well known in saddle hunting. As shown in, the expansion portionhas been expanded, such as by pulling on the handlesas shown in, such that the saddlehas a size suitable to support the buttocks region and second back region of the user, in this case a hunter. The cordis stretched between the patchand the friction assembly. When the useris done using the saddle, the cordwill contract and collapse the expansion portion, thereby decreasing the size of the saddlefor easier transport and storage.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.